Here's what I thought you'd like to hear about today:

1. Is the Surge working? - Someone on the front line explains
2. What is the Enemy like in Iraq? - Pam Hess of the UPI explains what we're up against
3. Explaining the Democratic Plan in Iraq - The leadership rushes nonsense through Congress
4. Explaining the Democratic Plan in Iraq - The "Out of Iraq" caucus
5. Plame in Context - The Waxman Hearings

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Is the Surge working? - Someone on the front line explains

In another of the Pentagon Channel's podcasts, I was able to listen to Col. J.B. Burton speaking to reporters from Iraq. You can watch it here. Col. Burton is Commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, responsible for a few battalions of soldiers on the front lines of the surge in Iraq. In fact, it looks like he was one of the first to put his soldiers out in the neighborhoods in Combat Outposts, where they live and work outside the giant and protected military bases. Here he answers a reporters question about if the surge is working. Notice later in the recording how a reporter tries to twist the Colonel's reference to a decrease in Shia violence as due to Shia militias in peace keeping roles. This is a canard by those trying to spin to the Mahdi Army as beneficial.

Play clip.

He is very cautious, worried that the end of the Shia festivals may prompt an increase in violence as they return to battle. The Shia extremists are thugs who just happen to have decided that a religious celebration was more important than killing Sunnis this month. Watch out for a return to violence if they decide to resume their war making activities.

What is the Enemy like in Iraq? - Pam Hess of the UPI explains what were up against

Pam Hess has been covering Iraq for four years, and has just returned from her most recent posting. In total she has spent six months there. She was on C-SPAN last week, and was able to answer caller's questions about her stay. Many were the typical partisan talking point type of question, but this one elicited an emotional reaction from her that was striking in its honest reflection of the enemy we face there. She answers Dick Lam's question about what she saw.

Play clip.

I agree that the discussion now should not be why we went in, not about WMD vs. Democracy. It needs to be about the humanity. But that doesn't mean we don't have a national security interest in a peaceful ally in Iraq. We do. But if caring about human suffering will make more people support our efforts in Iraq, then more power to them.

Explaining the Democratic Plan in Iraq - The leadership rushes Nonsense through Congress

Nancy Pelosi trotted out Jack Murtha and David Obey to explain their plan for Iraq at a press conference on 3/8. It can only be described as a disaster for the Democrats. Thankfully, they were woefully unable to explain their complex, multilayer trigger plan. Slow bleed was easy to explain. This is complex. Listen to this clip where Pelosi tries to explain how first they will support the surge, but only if the Iraqi's don't need it, then if they do need help, we will withdraw the support. Or something like that. She gives up and asks David Obey to explain, and he gets the dates wrong and fumbles with his notes. Fortunately this plan has no chance of getting through the Senate, much less a Presidential veto. But it's great political theater. Thanks to C-SPAN for the video. I'll play first the introduction by Pelosi where she names the bill. Then later on when trying to explain it.

Play clip.

These clowns don't deserve to run the House of Representatives. They don't deserve to run a fraternity house. Lunacy. And these guys are the middle of the Democratic members of the House. The conservative "Blue Dog Democrats" want to continue to support the mission in Iraq. And on the left of Murtha we have the "Out of Iraq" caucus. That's the next clip.

Explaining the Democratic Plan in Iraq - The "Out of Iraq" caucus

Maxine Waters was on Fox News Sunday last week to make her case for withdrawal immediately and unconditionally from Iraq. Congressman Waters represents South Central LA in California. She usually wins by landslides. This gives here the authority to make rash and irresponsible statements, and generally make an jerk of herself in Congress. Her appearance on Chris Wallace's Sunday show was no exception. It started reasonably, but Chris had her on the ropes towards the end. More great political theater here. She is reciting the Democrat's talking point about our need to spend more time and resources in Tora Bora, and quickly moves through civil war and asks why we haven't found Osama yet.

Play clip.

At the end she states, "It can't get any worse than this." I would beg to differ with the gentle lady from Compton. Oh, yes it could. Much worse, much closer to home, and with far more dangerous results. Anyone who assumes that peace will descend on Iraq with us gone is clearly delusional.

Plame in Context - The Waxman Hearings

As NPR stated back in July 2005,

Identifying a CIA officer who is undercover has been a crime since 1982 when President Reagan signed the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. Victoria Toensing was chief counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee and helped frame the law.

She appeared at Congressman Waxman's committee hearing where Valerie Plame testified, famously, that as Tom McGuire on Just One Minute documented.

"I did not recommend him. I did not suggest him. There was no nepotism involved. I did not have the authority," she said.

Here she is claiming her uninvolvement, in response to a question by Democratic Congressman Lynch from Massachusetts. Thanks to C-SPAN for the audio.

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I don't doubt that she is telling some truth there. Just not necessarily the complete truth. As Tom continues:

Although she did not recommend her hubby for the 2002 Niger trip, Ms. Wilson went to her boss accompanied by the man who did, talked to her hubby about the assignment, and wrote the recommending email.

Of course, the recommendation was not from her, rather "someone passed by, another officer" sent him. Of course. Perhaps. In any case, Victoria Toensing also testified. Her point was that there was no way the disclosure of Plame's name met the criteria of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. First, Republican Tom Davis questioned Toensing, then Waxmen went after her with both barrels for daring to state that fact.

Play clip.

She clearly was raining on his parade of political kangaroo courtroom drama. With the wind taken out of his sails by having no crime committed, all he can do is posture and try to manufacture a scandal out of thin air. Hot thin air, I would say.

That's it for now, Podcatchers. I'm Charlie Quidnunc reporting from wet but temporarily sunny Skamania, Washington for the Wizbang Podcast.